Places

* Gov. Gerald L. Baliles has proclaimed the week of April 30-May 6 as Severe Storm Awareness Week in Virginia.

In observance of the week, the Virginia Department of Emergency Services will conduct a public awareness campaign and a two-day conference on severe storms May 4-5 at Virginia Beach.

The conference is being co-sponsored by the department, the National Weather Service and the city of Virginia Beach.

Some of the tips offered by the department include:

Don't stay in your car or mobile home during a tornado. Both are easily tossed through the air by the twisting force of tornado winds. When a tornado warning is issued, leave your car or mobile home and take shelter immediately. If you are at home and hear a tornado warning, move quickly to your basement and take cover under a stairway or sturdy furniture. If underground shelter is not available, go to an inside closet or bathroom in the center of the house.

The best protection from a thunderstorm is inside a sturdy building. Lightning may strike some miles from the parent cloud. Precautions should be taken even though the thunderstorm is not directly overhead.

When a hurricane watch or warning is issued, listen for official bulletins and be prepared to act quickly. Tornadoes are often spawned by hurricanes. When a hurricane is on its way, listen for tornado watches and warnings. Inland flooding by a hurricane is a dangerous killer. Avoid low-lying areas and waterways during and after a hurricane.

* The 1989 Virginia Berry Guide, which features 45 Virginia family farms that sell directly to consumers, is now available from the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

The farms in the guide sell berries, either on a pick-your-own basis or on a fresh-picked basis. The berry guide is one of the most popular of the nine guides published each year by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Any many of the farms offer added attractions like hayrides and fresh-fruit sundaes make berry-picking a family adventure."

The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services already is distributing its free 1989 Virginia Herb and Vegetable Guides.

If you would like a copy of the 1989 Virginia Berry Guide, Call (804) 786-5867 or write the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Marketing, P.O. Box 1163, Room 702, Richmond 23209.

* Herb and vegetable guide books listing farms in Virginia that sell directly to consumers are available free through the marketing division of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

The 1989 Virginia Herb Guide lists 17 Virginia producers who sell fresh and dried herbs, herb plants and herbal products. In addition, some of the herb farms offer special herb luncheons, herb lectures and tours. One even has a bird-nest museum.

The 1989 Virginia Vegetable Guide lists 14 producers that sell a wide variety of vegetables from asparagus in the spring to squash in the fall. Many offer pick-your-own vegetables, while others sell fresh picked vegetables from their farms or in roadside and farmers' markets. For a guidebook write to: The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Marketing, P.O. Box 1163, Room 702, Richmond 23209, or call (804) 786-5867.